newsobserver.com projects - Easley robocalls for Clinton - Comments

Re: Easley robocalls for Clinton

feliduca — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:07:27 -0400

I wondered if one of the campaigns would make a mistake and get caught as AG Steve Carter fully prosecutes robo calling cases to the fullest extent of the law.

I would not mess with AG Carter.

Now it looks as if someone hasn't received accurate legal advice and will pay for it.

What is not clear, however, is if this is a robo call that went into Indiana (the audio is very poor and there does not seem to be a date and time stamp on the call).

National Right to Life goes after Obama in an Indiana robocall "asking you to vote against Barack Obama."

Clinton and Obama are more or less indistinguishable on abortion rights, both in their support for access to abortion, and in the way they talk about the issue.

The call attacks him for promising to sign federal legislation that would make it harder for states to impede abortion, and for voting against a (complicated) bill in the state legislature that would have more heavily regulated late-term abortions to the end of saving, the call says, "the lives of babies who survied late term abortions."

Former Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer, a pro-life Obama backer, said the group is playing politics.

"National Right to Life is running these calls because they know that Senator Clinton will be the easier Democrat to run against in the general election—and this is their way of giving her a helping hand in this tough primary battle," he said in the emailed statement.

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Re: Easley robocalls for Clinton

karegi — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:04:18 -0400

The long-term solution has to be for Americans to re-organize both work and leisure so that there is less travel and that more of it is on public transportation systems.

Pitting the world's starving poor against Americans who want to maintain their mobility at all costs is not a good solution but ALL THREE CANDIDATES support that "solution", although any "intelligent" person who reads the news knows that there's a growing world food shortage.
Obama's international aura has inspired no mention of this dilemma.

If we're not "stupid" -- as you rightfully point out -- we must realize that the long-term solutions are going to entail an extraordinary amount of participation by the average Joe. Therefore, including Americans in an initial gesture to modestly ease the present situation will better enlist their cooperation in future changes which will have to be skillfully imlemented by sommeone who is a concrete manager.

I share -- and who doesn't? -- the conviction of economists that the cutting of the gas tax is in no way a long-term solution. But economy majors were often short on psychology when I was in college and I think the issue here is to shore up the country's spirit in this time of inflation and mortgage crises.

Re: Easley robocalls for Clinton

pongoed — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:42:08 -0400

Do you think we of modest means are so stupid that a savings averaging $30 over 6 months will give us a psychological breather?

Re: Easley robocalls for Clinton

karegi — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:19:29 -0400

The cutting of the gas tax will bring a psychological "breather" to the families with more modest incomes. Clinton also has long-range plans.

Easley robocalls for Clinton

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:06:49 -0400

Gov. Mike Easley is touting the gas-tax holiday on a robocall.

In a 45-second automated call to voters, Easley says Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "know how to turn this economy around and create new jobs right away."

"She'll start by cutting the gas tax and make big oil pay for it out of the record profits for a change instead of you and me," he says.

A voice at the end of the call says it was paid for by the Clinton campaign and gives a phone number, as required by state law.

After the jump, a transcript.

Easley robocall